Two members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) who were caught on video allegedly accepting a bribe and unlawfully releasing a suspect during a routine patrol in central Harare, were on Wednesday, remanded in custody to 28 April.
Rudo Chirengendure (28) and Nyasha Michael Mupandira (34) appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as public officers, in terms of Section 174(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].
The incident took place on 18 April 2025, while the officers were deployed to Parkade rank, at the busy intersection of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Rezende Street, as part of an operation targeting illegal money changers, touts, and unlicensed vendors.
However, instead of enforcing the law, the two officers were allegedly filmed receiving what appeared to be an illicit payment from a member of the public.
The footage, now widely circulated on social media, also shows the officers removing handcuffs from a female suspect before releasing her without following legal procedure.
Prosecutors argue that the officers’ conduct represents a serious breach of public trust and a clear violation of their sworn duties.
The State opposed bail and requested that both accused be remanded in custody to allow for further investigation. The matter was postponed to 28 April for a bail hearing.
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